The Toyota Camry has been in a shoot-out for volume-sales honors and
has won for the last two years. Available in base CE, top-level XLE or
as our LE tester, we'll soon see who's the Y2K sales winner.

OUTSIDE - The Camry was completely redone in 1997 and has changed
little since then. That model was an inch longer than before, mostly due
to a new wedge-shaped style. New this year is a redesigned front end
that includes an enhanced grille and bumper, new multi-reflector
headlamps and front fascia. The tail lights now have wider horizontal
reflectors and the rear bumper is slightly different from the 1999
model. A new set of wheelcovers on Camry's 15-inch steel wheels round
out its new exterior items, unless an LE buyer chooses alloy wheels as
an option - they're new as well.

INSIDE - Toyota treats its interiors the same as its exteriors.
There is nothing too fancy about either. Inside things are comfortable,
with supportive front bucket seats and a three-across bench seat in
back. And like most cars in this class, a middle passenger in the back
seat will be squeezed and less comfortable than the others. New this
year on LE grade models is improved seat fabric and an available powered
driver's seat and leather upholstery. Also new for 2000 is an improved
audio system that includes an AM/FM/cassette/CD stereo as standard
equipment, along with the addition of a separate climate control button
to allow the choice of fresh or re-circulated air inside the cabin. Its
standard, lockable, 60/40 split folding rear seat comes in handy when
extra cargo space is needed. Standard LE features include air
conditioning, cruise control, tilt steering, rear window defroster,
variable-speed intermittent wipers and power windows, door locks and
outside mirrors. Its plethora of optional "value packages" are too
lengthy to list.

ON THE ROAD - The standard powerplant is a very capable 2.2 liter
inline four cylinder engine. It produces 136 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of
torque, both of which are slightly higher than before. Power and torque
figures are slightly less in California, where emissions laws are more
stringent. The engine is equipped with a sophisticated multipoint fuel
injection system and it has undergone considerable engineering to reduce
the noise, vibration and harshness inherent in four-cylinder engines.
Additionally, it is now certified as an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle
(ULEV) in California. Mated to this is an electronically-controlled
four-speed automatic transmission that "learns" the habits of its driver
and adjusts shift points accordingly. Also available is a five-speed
manual transmission.

BEHIND THE WHEEL - Camry's unibody platform uses a MacPherson strut
front suspension and a dual-link rear setup. Both ends use coil springs,
tube shocks and an anti-roll bar. The suspension components are mounted
on subframes that use insulating bushings that help dampen out road
imperfections. Also contributing to the lack of noise intruding into the
cabin are liberal amounts of insulation placed strategically throughout
the bodywork. The ride is so smooth that some auto writers have
complained about the lack of road feel but Toyota purposely tunes in
ride compliance for the masses versus "heroic" handling for the few. We
prefer comfort, however, as this vehicle just isn't intended to be a
sport sedan - especially in four-cylinder trim. Its power rack-and-
pinion steering is equally smooth, albeit too softly damped, which
sacrifices some road feel. Braking is handled by front discs and rear
drums with an anti-lock braking system available in an optional package.
We feel that this should be a stand-alone option, and that rear discs
like those available on V6 models should be included in the package.
Four-wheel disc brakes stop better and cool faster than drum brakes.